For over 50 years, Numakage, a public swimming pool complex called the “ocean” in a landlocked suburb of Tokyo, served as a beloved place for the elderly, children, and gay men. However, with urban redevelopment looming, the demolition of this public space triggered a profound sense of loss among the community. Numakage Public Pool explores this collective grief through the five stages defined by psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross—denial, anger, negotiation, depression, and acceptance. Director Shingo Ota questions the boundaries of what we grieve, suggesting that the loss of a public space can be just as emotionally significant as human death.
Shingo Ota
Shingo Ota was born in 1985 in Nagano, Japan. He studied philosophy and narratology at Waseda University. His first feature documentary, The End of the Special Time We Were Allowed (2013), was selected at Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival and distributed in 12 countries. He later directed At Kinosaki, which won the Excellence Award at Yubari IFFF. His stage work The Last Geishas combines documentary and performance premiered at the Festival d’Automne in 2024. His latest film, Numakage Public Pool, won the First Cut+ Award at Karlovy Vary IFF 2024.
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